Scully and Announcing (Split from 7/19 IGT)

[bmfc1]

I know that Vin Scully is baseball royalty but he never stops talking. Yes, it's amazing for a man of his age and he's one of the geatest ever but take a breath once in awhile.

[Frayed Knot]

bmfc1 wrote: I know that Vin Scully is baseball royalty but he never stops talking. Yes, it's amazing for a man of his age and he's one of the geatest ever but take a breath once in awhile.

Ya gotta remember that he's working radio alone so any time spent NOT talking is essentially dead air.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'm interested. Do you think his talk total is greater than that of a typical booth with two or three guys?

I'm just wondering if it's too much talk or a lack of variety.

[Guest Kid Carsey]

He used to do the radio and tv at the same time, I think. Either the talking a lot is habit
or he still does it out of necessity?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Scullly tells me that 27 of the Dodger wins have been come-from-behinders.

That sort of play might make a fan stay until the seventh.

[bmfc1]

I forgot that. It's still a lot of yakking. To me, he no Murph.

[bmfc1]

Edgy DC wrote: I'm interested. Do you think his talk total is greater than that of a typical booth with two or three guys? I'm just wondering if it's too much talk or a lack of variety.

Edgy--that's also a good point. Does Gary + Keith and/or Ron = Vin (in terms of number of words only)?

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Let's lay off Vin Scully and focus instead on how to best kill Tom Glavine if he lets this gift get away.

[bmfc1]

Gee, what did everybody think ofvwhen Scully described the "little ground ball" to first?

[bmfc1]

Scully just called Rick Peterson a "dutch uncle." What does that mean?

Perhaps someone who wears a jacket all the time?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I just finished watching this game about an hour ago. (Thanks TiVo!)

I didn't think Scully did too much talking. In fact, there were times when I thought my TV's sound had gone out because there were longer periods of silence than you usually hear in a two- or three-man booth.

Scully was a pleasure to listen to, although he did make a few mistakes. He kept referring to Oliver Perez as "Oliver" as if it were his last name instead of his first. I'm guessing he'll have it right for tonight's game when Perez is on the mound.

[Guest Edgy DC]

As of my sleepy time, he still hadn't made the connection between Julio and Ruben Gotay.

He remarked intitially that Ruben's name was pronounced "Go-TAY" which was different from the old player "Julio Go-TIE." Later, he corrected himself, crediting Jay Horowitz (and good for him for not leaving West Coast trips to subordinates and for monitoring opposition broadcasts) with the correct informaiton (though saying he had heard "Go-TAY" from others previously. He still didn't note that Ruben is Julio's nephew, though.

Vin Scully called Game Six, which almost makes him a borderline candidate for the Mets Hall of Fame.

[Guest Iubitul]

Edgy DC wrote: Vin Scully called Game Six, which almost makes him a borderline candidate for the Mets Hall of Fame.

That call, and allowing the pictures to say the words for about two minutes, should be required viewing for any broadcasting candidate.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was at that game, so I didn't hear Scully's call until the next day when I rewatched the 10th inning on videotape, but there's one thing he said that I'll never forget:

"The Mets are not only alive; they are well."

That gave me goosebumps and made me all the more eager for Game 7.

[Centerfield]

I loved Scully's "What a ballgame here at Shea!" It's funny, it was already an incredible game even before the Buckner play.

[Centerfield]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I was at that game, so I didn't hear Scully's call until the next day

Yeah right. You and 250,000 other people.

I'm just kidding Yancy. Did you see avi?

[Frayed Knot]

Iubitul wrote: ... allowing the pictures to say the words for about two minutes, should be required viewing for any broadcasting candidate.

This concept is so foreign to announcers these days since most have the idea in their heads that they need to turn prominent games into their signature moment to be preserved for all eternity. After all, how would we and future generations know whether it was an exciting or momentus game without them there to tell us so?

Mike 'Doc' Emerick is one of the few who grasps the art of selective silence but seeing as how he does NJ Devils (and occaionally network) hockey there's only like 23 people in the country people who actually know this.

[Centerfield]

The example that immediately jumps into my mind is Jack Buck's call of Puckett's home run. No one seems to realize today that a real signature call is one that is only said once.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frayed Knot wrote: This concept is so foreign to announcers these days since most have the idea in their heads that they need to turn prominent games into their signature moment to be preserved for all eternity.

Yet, Steve Zabriskie got heat for NOT saying something memorable at the moment that the Mets clinched the NL East in 1986. (I wasn't aware of this "controversy" until he addressed it either here with us, or on the UMDB, or in both places.)

You'd be surprised (perhaps) at how many people pay close attention to these so-called signature moments. I'm amazed at how many people post Gary Cohen memories on the UMDB that are simply home run calls. ("Deep fly ball by Piazza... It's outta here! Home run Mike Piazza! And the Mets take a 2 to 1 lead!")

I just about always decline such submissions because, except for the names and the scores, they all sound pretty much the same.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Like that ball by Piazza would have gotten out of Lorn Brown was calling it.

Mothaf... somebody edited my Lorn Brown page.

[Frayed Knot]

and the cry goes out for a seperate thread

]Yet, Steve Zabriskie got heat for NOT saying something memorable at the moment that the Mets clinched the NL East in 1986.

Wasn't the problem that he mis-called something, or failed to properly say what was won?
Doesn't really matter to me either way. I too was unaware of any "problem" at the time and it hardly ruins my memory of the moment now that I know in retrospect that it was imperfect.

]You'd be surprised (perhaps) at how many people pay close attention to these so-called signature moments

No, I'm pretty aware of it, and I suspect part of it is because fans have been trained to expect it and the announcers, in turn, expect us to expect it.
I also suspect many of them are doing it to impress and one-up their peers in the same way that White House correspondants ask 30-second long convoluted questions as press conferences; for the reflected insider glory.

A lot of this, in my mind, got its start back to when Al Michaels' vaulted to national prominence by asking the country; 'Do you believe in miracles?'. The difference there was, after allowing the final 2 seconds to tick off and then answering his own question with an emphatic "Yes", he shut the fuck up and allowed us to watch the result without interruption. I'm not sure his modern-day equivelent would do the same because he's thinking about his call not just for those watching at that moment but for the future and the ones who'll see the replays on ESPN who will forever have the benefit of his golden tones telling those watching athletes celebrating that they were watching athletes celebrating.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Dodger games are simply the only ones that don't disappoint me when mlb.tv gives me the away-team feed.

The funny thing is that he'll feed me sidebar stories about these visitng Mets that I know already.

There's just so many louts in broadcast booths these days, that a baseball loving gentleman is just fine.

LOUTS!

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was pleasantly surprised by the Cincinnati broadcast team last weekend. I usually only half listen to announcers, and this time was no exception. But I heard them make some interesting points and I didn't find myself annoyed or exasperated at all.

Now the San Diego team on the other hand was comprised of two idiots. I didn't catch either of their names, but they were about as bad as it gets. (Disclaimer: I still haven't heard a YES broadcast of a Yankees game.)

[metirish]

I've never heard Scully do a complete game,would love to though.

In fact I've only ever heard him on highlights.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Despite the mistakes pointed out in this thread, it was very pleasant to listen to. It brought back memories for me of the Saturday Game of the Week that used to be on NBC, plus, of course, the 1986 World Series.

And it's a kick to listen to the guy who's been doing Dodgers games continuously since they played in Brooklyn. I'd listen to him talk about Jose Reyes and David Wright and think that he also talked about Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider.

There's a certain charm in hearing Vin Scully talk about the home towns of the various umpires. And every once in a while he'll say something odd, like "It's funny how some people named James are Jimmy or Jim, but some of them are James."

With no one else in the booth with him, the comment just sits there and seems all the more odd because of that.

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: ="Iubitul"] ... allowing the pictures to say the words for about two minutes, should be required viewing for any broadcasting candidate. This concept is so foreign to announcers these days since most have the idea in their heads that they need to turn prominent games into their signature moment to be preserved for all eternity. After all, how would we and future generations know whether it was an exciting or momentus game without them there to tell us so?

Perfect example, Charley Steiner calls the Aaron Boone ALCS clinching homer in the 10th then John Sterling runs into the booth to start his "Ball game over..." schtick, and I guess Steiner was so aggravated that he stepped right on Sterling doing "The Yankees Win"

I guess thats part of the reason Sterling does the final innings alone now! HA!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: INow the San Diego team on the other hand was comprised of two idiots. I didn't catch either of their names, but they were about as bad as it gets. (Disclaimer: I still haven't heard a YES broadcast of a Yankees game.)

One of them was named "Mudcat."

LOUTS!

[Benjamin Grimm]

Did the San Diego guys also strike you as being particularly bad? Badder than most?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yes.

The usual Arizona team is also especially disappointing, since they've got a class act like Joe Garagiola on retainer.

[Willets Point]

I like Vin Scully's voice, it has a pleasing, timeless baseball quality to it. Hearing the radio broadcast is that highlight of visiting the bathrooms at Dodger Stadium.